The Friends and staff of Oakwell Hall carried out many months of detailed research for the garden restoration project. This allowed us to restore the gardens to the condition they would have been seen in around 1690, using the existing hard landscaping. Come for a stroll with us and see the finished product.
We consulted original sources and researched the gardens of local houses of the time. The plants used in the formal gardens were all popular in 1690. The style of planting is as important as the plants used. In 1690, each plant was enjoyed as an individual, with plenty of space between them. Guests viewed them as we would enjoy the pictures in an art gallery today.
The layout of the 17th century garden restoration
Our garden contains a parterre of compartments, with topiary specimens and clipped box hedging. The patterns of the box reflect the furniture and plasterwork in the Hall. They feature the lozenge design local to our area.
The hop pyramids and trellis running across the garden come from an original source. They show designs for a “carpenter’s work” from the seventeenth century. This type of decorative work was typical of the period. We chose an authentic green colour for our woodwork.
The scented area is behind the trellis. It features splendid box-headed lime trees, fragrant herbs and authentic varieties of shrub roses, all popular at this time. We have also planted our scented area with a variety of soft fruit, using varieties which are appropriate to the garden. They will join the heritage apple trees, already growing along the back wall.
Visit the restored garden
We welcome all visitors to our garden, and hope they will feel that they are strolling in a garden of seventeenth-century elegance.
Thanks are due to B.T.C.V. for their grant to aid the project, as well as to all who have contributed to its success. In particular, we’d like to thank Friends member Beatrice Myers for all the hard work she put into this project.
If you enjoy your visit, please support us by clicking the donations button in the footer of every page.
If you have time to give and would like to be part of the Friend’s Team working in the formal garden, then please contact us for further information.
